Europcar, the leader in car hire services in Europe, is helping its corporate customers meet their CSR and environmental objectives, while at the same time lowering costs, by guaranteeing availability of diesel vehicles for reservations.

Corporate customers booking compact and standard vehicles can now specify the fuel type as diesel at the click of a button.  This will not only enhance their environmental reputation but also enables them to make a positive choice to reduce their business travel costs.  Employees can benefit too.

“Europcar has one of the largest car hire network in the UK with the most extensive fleet, which means we can guarantee our corporate and fleet customers access to diesel vehicles”, said Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar UK Group. “By allowing corporate customers to choose a fuel type within a vehicle group, they can ensure they meet their emissions targets.  They can also improve the fuel economy of their business journeys at a time there is increasing pressure on costs.”

The new initiative also offers cost savings for individuals on ‘Benefit-in-Kind’ (BIK) tax, which is payable on company cars made available for private use. Any employee who is offered a company car and earns more than £8,500 annually is liable for BIK tax, which is calculated in relation to both the value of the vehicle and its CO₂ emissions, therefore by choosing a lower emission diesel vehicle, employees can reduce their BIK payments. Plus the employer can make savings on both their fuel costs and Class 1A National Insurance contributions, as these are calculated based on the BIK rate.

“This is the latest initiative that demonstrates we understand the needs of our corporate customers” concluded Ken McCall.  “We offer the widest choice of vehicles, combined with the highest quality car hire experience.  But as importantly, by developing initiatives like this, we’re also giving our corporate customers more control over their costs which we know is crucial in the current economic climate.  Plus we believe this will also help businesses meet their CSR and environmental challenges head on.”